Idyll's End
by Elizabeth von Schweitzer
Summary: When Ike left Tellius behind in search of new lands, he wasn't expecting deja vu, in the form of a young girl and her country, desperately in need of a savior.
1. Chapter 1: Humor Me

**Chapter One : Humor Me**

It was daybreak over the Rikal Mountains when Soren finally opened the flap of his tent. The sage always rose at dawn for the simple luxury of the campsite being _quiet._ It was difficult to think with all the ruckus that usually preceded dinner and continued until everyone went to bed.

The autumn winds that often ravaged the region between Yeven and Ivel, east of the continent of Tellius, during this time of year were reduced to breezes today. The air stirred his dark hair as he stretched, enjoying the view of _green _fields. They'd now entered Soai, a country in the Drazi Empire. A peaceful country by anyone's standards.

"Aw, Soren. Why d'you always have to get up so damn early?" came the voice of Boyd as he staggered out of his tent, his green hair messy and suffering from severe bedhead.

Soren didn't particularly like Boyd, as the green-haired young man got on his nerves frequently and often made fun of the sage for not having traditional fighting skills, only magic. The only reason Soren even put up with him in the first place was because Ike wanted Boyd in the group, so the magic user _had_ to tolerate him.

It didn't mean he had to like him.

"I get up early to avoid idiots like you," he said flatly. "Unfortunately, the heavens have not blessed me with that luxury this morning."

"Good morning to you, too. Nice to see your mood has improved," Boyd said sarcastically as the flap of a tent to the left opened, revealing a tall redhead. "Nice to see ya, Titania," he greeted casually. The paladin nodded to acknowledge him, and looked around the campsite. "No one bothered to get Ike and Shinon up?" she asked.

"Nah. The less we see of them this morning, the better."

The woman chuckled. "I can deal with Shinon. Leave Ike to Soren." Shinon, the archer of the group, was around the same age as Titania. The both of them were practically senior members of the mercenary band, which meant that he couldn't pull rank on someone like Titania like he did with Boyd. She opened the flap to Shinon's tent, and Boyd could hear a thump that sounded very much like a kick, followed by a string of curses. Titania came out with a wicked grin on her face. "He's up, alright."

Soren had fetched a bucket of water from the river nearby, and took a ladleful to Ike's tent. The blue haired mercenary and leader of the group was sprawled on his back, sleeping like a log. Soren lifted the ladle up, and splashed the water all over Ike's face.

He shot upright with a yell, cold water dripping off his hair and down his face. He looked around quickly, and spotted Soren standing above him, looking down with his usual deadpan manner. "Good morning. It's time to get up."

"SOREN!" The shout echoed throughout the campsite, making Boyd laugh and Ike's sister, Mist, giggle. The sage was chased out of the tent by a shirtless, fuming Ike who was very wet. "Next time you do that, make sure you have your spell book with you, 'cause you'll be in for it," he growled, and stomped back into the tent to dry off and get dressed.

Ike grumpily shook the water out of his hair, running a cloth over his face. He tossed it aside, pulling on his tunic and leather armor. Adjusting it to make it more comfortable, he put on the rest of his gear and armor, tying everything quickly and accurately. On went the boots and boot covers, and to finish, Ike tied his signature green headband on to keep his blue hair out of his face.

Stepping out of the tent, leaving Mist to take it down while he got some breakfast, he was promptly greeted by Rolf, who was infernally cheerful this morning. Ike grunted in reply, eating silently. The only remotely sane people were Oscar, who never really talked to begin with, Shinon, who was just a jerk most of time anyway, and Soren, who was silent until he decided to come up with some deadpan rude remark. Mist and Rolf were overly cheerful in the mornings, which tended to grate on his and Shinon's nerves, and Titania was generally in a good mood after getting her kick out of hitting Shinon to wake him up. He couldn't really ask Mist to tone it down, since she was his little sister, and it would depress her for the rest of the day, and if he yelled at Rolf, the kid would go crying to Titania, who would yell at him. Ike stood up with a sigh.

"Okay, everyone. We'll be crossing Soai today. It's a pretty small country, so we won't have to make any stops—"

"Aw, Ike, can't we stop at the Lake Lanan Market?" Rolf whined.

Ike's eye twitched in irritation. "No, we—"

"Actually, I think stopping at Lanan is a good idea," Titania interrupted pointedly, with an evil smile. Ike turned to her, completely flabbergasted. "Why is it a good idea?" he demanded. "The point is, Ike, a little fun never killed anyone. We need some relaxation, and Lanan's a good place to get it," the woman argued.

"Please, Ike? We won't stay for too long," wheedled Mist. Whenever she asked for something, Ike was generally hard put to refuse. This morning was no different. The blue-haired man rubbed his temples, then exhaled slowly. "Fine. We'll go to Lanan. But not for too long," he added sharply, walking away from the fire. Soren trotted behind to catch up.

"Lanan giving you a bad feeling?" the sage asked quietly. "You're usually not so dead-set about not going to places."

"It's just that, well, I don't know. Lanan's generally not that bad of a place, but it really depends on where you go." Ike shook his head. "My gut's telling me not to go there, though."

Soren nodded slowly. "Did you know Lanan's the only real place in the Drazi Empire where you can hire assassins?"

Ike's eyes widened as he digested this bit of information. "No, I didn't." He was beginning to have second thoughts about going to Lanan after all. He didn't want himself or his group getting tangled in that kind of business.

Soren brought his hand to the other man's shoulder. "You don't have to worry. Like you said, it depends on where you go. In the Empire, it's all about stealth. They don't hire mercenaries for the most part."

OoOoOoOo

Lake Lanan, and the actual city of Lanan, was just as Titania had predicted: busy and loud. It may have been fun for Mist, Rolf, Boyd and Titania, but Ike himself was on edge. He fidgeted the entire time they were in the Market, and finally, Shinon took notice.

"What's the matter, rookie?" the archer asked. Even after around four to five years, he still referred to Ike as a 'rookie'. The older man didn't have much respect for their leader, and at first, didn't even want to follow him until Titania had given him a piece of her mind. Even so, he was the one who knew that instincts were one of the things that defined a mercenary, and whatever Shinon thought of him, Ike was very good at what he did. If Ike was feeling antsy, then there had to be a good reason for it.

"I don't know," Ike admitted after a moment of scanning the crowd. "It's just…a feeling."

"A feeling? Any particular reason for it?"

"That's the thing," Ike said doubtfully, rubbing the back of his head. "Soren told me about Lanan. It's a hotbed for the assassin trade. You can't get anyone else any_where_ else in the Empire. It's just a bad feeling."

Shinon mulled it over. "Have you told Titania?" When he saw the other man shake his head, he smacked his forehead. "Then tell her, you halfwit. But," he stopped Ike, taking him by the shoulder. "From what _I_ know of this place, Soren's right, but only sort of. Soai's not only a place where you can get the best assassins this side of the Pallonian continent; it's where all the malcontents gather to vent their spleen about the Empire. Lanan's small enough in comparison to the Imperial capital or Port Lagayu, which is why they go unnoticed here."

"What are you two talking about? You're normally not so chummy," Titania commented from behind them, keeping an eye on Boyd, Mist, and Rolf.

"Ike's got a bad feeling about this place," Shinon explained. He then told her about their conversation, and Titania's frown grew even darker.

"It's true that all the whiners and complainers come here to gripe about the Imperials, and yes, the best assassins for hire are here. But this time of year, Lanan's a pretty safe place. I don't think we have anything to worry about," she said confidently.

"The last time you said that, we ended up in some deep trouble," Shinon laughed, earning him a punch from the paladin. Ike, however, was silent.

OoOoOoOo

Boyd whistled as the group settled in at their table in the fairly well lit tavern. Titania had opted to take Rolf and Mist elsewhere, so it was just the men. Boyd and Ike usually drank lightly, whereas Soren, Rhys, and Oscar didn't drink at all. Tonight, however, after hearing about Ike's 'bad feeling', there was no alcohol tonight. Every man at the table was on edge, and tried not to show it, with various degrees of success.

Ike finally couldn't take anymore of the strained silence and even tenser bits of conversation, and rose, making his way to the bar. He asked for some water, then observed the people around him. Most were preoccupied with their company and friends, but a few among the crowd had turned to stare at him.

The barkeep passed him his mug, and moved on to the man next to him. "Any news from the capital, Yonwe?" he asked, cleaning a glass.

The man chuckled, and took a long drink from his mug. "Not really, but the pretty lil' princess came of age a few days ago. Remember?" he replied roughly.

Shinon sidled in next to Ike, but motioned discreetly for him to be quiet as they continued to eavesdrop on the conversation. "Yeah, I remember," the other man replied from behind the counter. "Biggest festival Rose Moon's ever seen. How could we forget?"

"Well, the Mage's Square rioters are gettin' restless again, from what I heard. They don't want no half-bloods."

"Can they help it, when she's the only heir to the throne? Draza can't have another king. Her father's weak as it is."

Shinon tugged on Ike's tunic, and they both left, returning to their table. "What were they talking about, Shinon?" Ike asked quietly.

Shinon leaned forward with a sigh. "Draza is the motherland of the Empire, and in the Imperial capital Alantaiya is the royal family, the Telemaris. Right now, the current ruler is King Valcox IV."

"But it's an Empire," Boyd interrupted. "Shouldn't he be Emperor or something?"

"Shut up, twerp. I'm still talking. No, he's not the Emperor. No man can hold the highest title. There can't _be_ an Emperor, only an Empress. So the oldest daughter of the family is the Imperial Heir. I remember the rumors about the Mage's Square riots." His voice went down to a whisper. "You thought the riots back home were bad? These people went insane. They trashed the whole place, and burned it down to the ground. It was eleven years ago, but they haven't rebuilt it since."

"Why did the people riot?" Ike asked out of curiosity.

"Some rumors were going around about the king's second wife, who died giving birth to the Heir," Rhys spoke quietly. "Rumors that she wasn't exactly human."

"It wasn't proven, of course," Shinon said, giving the healer a brief nod. "Drazi people are stubborn and close-minded to the core. They didn't want a halfbreed ruling them, so what'd they do? They went nuts."

"I knew we shouldn't have come here," Ike muttered, hand covering his mouth. "I don't want to get mixed up in another war."


	2. Chapter 2: A Gentle Soul

**Chapter Two: A Gentle Soul**

"I think that will be all for today, Your Highness."

The shadows in the library continued to lengthen as the sun set over the great walls of the Imperial capital of Alantaiya. The young woman gave a sigh and rose reluctantly, collecting her books and beginning the long process of returning them to their original places. Her teacher watched her absently as she patiently placed each book on its respective shelf.

Evalia fa Telemari, Heir to the Imperial throne, was a mere eighteen years of age. The eldest daughter of the royal family stood at five feet three inches, and was very petite and delicate looking. Her face was of a gentle nature, composed of soft lines and sloping curves. Hair of a fiery red, was arranged in a half bun with scattered braids falling down. Her appearance was decidedly innocent, more pretty than beautiful.

"Are you still going to Legacy, then?" her instructor inquired. Tol-Nawayi was one of the few masters in the service of the imperial court that was allowed close contact with the future ruler of the Empire. The mage was surprisingly young for such accomplishment, being only mid-way through his twenties. He had overseen the princess's studies for five years, since he was closer to her in age than the other imperial mages. In that time, he had watched her grow from an inquisitive child to a tender and intelligent young woman. Really, it would be different, seeing someone like her on the throne of the Hall of Crowns.

She inclined her head. "Yes." Her voice was very soft naturally. He couldn't recall a time when she had risen it in anger.

"Even with reports of criminal activity in the capital?" The concern he felt for the girl he had taught and helped raise was clear. To be honest, he didn't want her leaving the capital at all. She would attract attention, not only with her distinct appearance and obvious wealth, but just with her personality. She was far too trusting, and he worried about her wellbeing for it.

"Tol-Nawayi, I won't be able to rule this Empire if I don't see more of it with my own eyes," she said mildly. Underneath all of that, he could feel her innate stubbornness beginning to leak through.

"I suppose there's no convincing you otherwise."

"No, I'm afraid not."

He straightened, adjusting the front of his robes. "It should only be fair to warn you to expect some resistance and confrontation on your journey." Legacy Springs were on the very outskirts of Draza, being located on the desert border. It was a two-day ride from Alantaiya, but a lot could happen in two days.

"I am confident in my safety." Her steady gaze met his own unsure one. Tol-Nawayi himself was very fair, being from the Southern Territories of the Empire, and possessed ash blonde hair and pale blue eyes. In contrast, the eyes that were so assuring yet so naïve were a deep burgundy hue, the color of exotic spiced wine. She was so full of color, laughing easily and smiling freely for the most part, but he knew that there was an even more beautiful part of her, locked and hidden away for the better part of half a decade. Hidden so deep that she herself had forgotten it even existed.

For what seemed the millionth time, he wished that, somehow, she would meet someone who would bring that out of her.

OoOoOo

After dinner, Evalia exited the hall through the east side to go out to the Lily Pavilion. She spent a few hours there each day out of habit, it was true, but it was mostly out of necessity. Her favorite time was at sunset and those precious few hours of cool Drazi twilight, when the Northern lilies would unfurl, setting free the sweet scent they were famed for. The deep purples of the sky would be reflected in the shallow pool in the center, making the white flowers appear to glow.

The princess spent almost all of her free time here, in the place of refuge her mother had created.

Evalia had never known her mother, the late Queen Rimeria fa Nolindori. She had been the king's second wife, and had died in childbirth. The princess had only seen portraits, and felt it was safe to say that the daughter did not resemble the mother at all. Rimeria's hair had been a fine white-blonde, almost shimmering with the ocean's brilliance. Sharp, dark blue eyes were set into a beautiful pale face. Her looks reminded one of water, and those of her daughter's resembled fire. However, the same could not be said of their personalities. Rimeria had been outspoken and very much a thrill seeker. The princess was much more withdrawn and quiet. The late queen had had a stunning charm that Lia never would possess. Hers was a silent grace.

Her mother's memory made her feel comforted, and yet so insignificant in comparison.

"Here again?" The source of the voice interrupting her thoughts belonged to her older brother, Prince Liyal. He was older than she by four years, and surpassed her in stature by standing two inches shy of six feet. He had thick brown hair like their father's , but his late mother's light green eyes. Out of all her siblings, he was the one who spoke to her the most. Their relationship was a little more than simple sibling coexistence: both felt a strong affection for the other. "Nevai won't like it if she finds you here," he reminded her, referring to their stepmother, the current queen.

His younger sister shrugged lightly. "And what can she do about it? To complain about something so simple and innocent of wrongdoing would be petty and immature. Do you think she would really sink that low?"

Liyal regarded her carefully. "Nevai thinks you come here for reasons other than those you and I both know to be true. She's never liked you, and you know that. She'd think of any reason to discredit you and destroy your reputation, so—"

"Any more than it has been already?" she laughed bitterly.

"Li…"

"What? Did I lie? You and I both know she can't deal a blow that hasn't already struck down my reputation."

"Haven't I already told you not to dwell on that?" he said quietly. He held open his arms, and embraced her warmly. "They were in the minority, Li. Don't let that get to you."

Liyal was the only one who spoke to her so lovingly; her younger siblings all called her by her full name, Evalia, and her teacher always referred to her as 'Your Highness'. Liyal truly adored his younger sister, calling her 'Li' when it was just the two of them: teaching her how to play _maikio_, a strategy game native to the Southern Territories, or reading out loud to her. He was always so animated when reading her some outlandish tale or myth, even going so far as to act it out as he went, if only to see her smile. And it slowly crushed his heart, to know that she was smiling less and less, and her self-doubt grew.

"It's hard to let it slip by when that minority is louder than everyone else," she whispered with a breaking voice.

He held her by the shoulders, and looked at her directly. "Now you listen to me. The cheers for you when you walk out to the Western Balcony as the new Empress of Draza will be louder than those shouts ten-fold. I know it." His firm smile reassured her, and brightened her own face.

"Thank you, Liyal."

"Anything and everything for you, little sister."

OoOoOo

It would be eleven years in exactly two days, since the Mage's Square riots. She had only been seven at the time, but she could remember it vividly. Nightmares of that event continued to haunt her, even after all this time. The shouts, sounds of shattering glass, raging fires. They were all as real to her as though they had occurred yesterday.

Running from it wouldn't help her now, as much as she wanted to. She had tried to escape from that, from her identity and the responsibilities that accompanied it. In the end, it had all caught up with her, in more ways than one. She had immediately regretted it, and made a personal vow not to make that tragically stupid mistake twice.

Despite her vow, the recurring dreams worried her, and they had become increasingly frequent with the approach of her departure to Legacy, and the eleven year anniversary of the riots. Liyal didn't put any stock in dreams, and would write hers off as superstitious nonsense, and she didn't dare tell Tol-Nawayi, who would force her to stay home. He was concerned about her enough as it was; she didn't want to give him another excuse.

It truly was times like these that she wished she had a mother she could talk to. Her own mother. A mother who had been dead for eighteen years; one she had never known. A woman who she had only heard stories of, mostly through her brother and some of the servants who had known her.

"_Natta_," she began, the word for 'mother' slipping past her lips. Her voice cracked as she spoke, and the endearment disappeared in the air of her room. "_Natta_, what should I do?"

_That's the question we all ask ourselves, darling. We don't always get an answer. At least, not right away. _

_"You have the potential to be the greatest Empress Draza has seen since your namesake, Evalia the Great."_ His voice was so calm and reassuring, reminding her of cool water, a person not easily disturbed or aggravated.

"But what if I'm not?"

_"Li, remember: the Empire's counting on you."_ This voice was one she had come to depend on as the years dragged by, a warm voice that constantly assured her that she was wanted, and loved.

"Maybe they're counting on the wrong person."

_"You were born a leader. Have faith in your abilities."_ The cool feeling lay over her skin as his voice spoke, wrapping her in a cocoon of certainty.

"I _can't do it, Li. I know_ you _can."_ He never once had tried to drag her down like the others had, and the warmth and love in his speech never faded.

"They hate me. They all do."

_"You can't blame yourself for things beyond your control. Come on, Li. You know better than to do that to yourself."_ He had never understood why she continued to question herself, long after she had proven her abilities.

_"Those that hate you do so out of ignorance and prejudice. The wise ones will not judge you so."_ He sounded so sure, so quietly confident that for but a moment, she couldn't help believe him.

Tears were running down her face as she sat heavily on her bed. She sobbed into her hands, "Outside of the palace, there is no one! No one I can talk to, no one I can trust."

_The love of your brother and teacher are not enough? You must have the friendship and love of outsiders to be whole?_ The voice she had spent eighteen years not knowing, and would never know. The woman she could not love, only her memory.

_"Everyone will leave you, desert you, hate you, and loathe your very existence. It is your fate. You will be alone. That is the destiny for you and all those like you."_ This voice chilled her to the very bone in its relentless hate for her and her family, the words soaked with venom and malice.

_"I always wanted you to meet someone who'd bring out the best in you, Li. So that way you could feel what it was like, being loved and needed for you. Maybe you could tell me about it sometime."_ He had resigned himself to the life of a noble, an existence that prevented him from being loved for who he was outside of his family. Had she done the same?

"But what if I don't? I'm not beautiful like you, _Natta._ I'm not strong like you. I can't come home and be expected to rule a country."

_You are my daughter, beautiful and strong in your own way. And one day, you'll see it._

_"Keep telling yourself that, Li, and it'll become true. We know you aren't like that. Don't let other people dictate your life, remember? We are of Telemari blood, descendants of Evalia the Great, who founded this country and led the fight against the Southerners for our freedom. Live your life like they would. It's yours to live, not theirs." _

She went to sleep with those words echoing in her mind, the wisdom of her brother finally calming the turmoil in her heart.

_"It's yours to live, not theirs."_


End file.
